Light Energy
(Imbolg)
Imbolg is a time of hope and looking forward, but it is still bitterly cold in much of Europe and North America at the time of this celebration - a time to be near home and hearthside. Therefore, it is not surprising that fireplace lore is a large part of this Sabbat.
Before we had central heat, fireplaces were the only sources of warmth, and still are in most of the world. They were in the center of every cottage, and in every room of larger homes. Families used to gather near the fireplace at night not just for the warmth, but to share stories, songs, and games. Besoms usually stood near the hearth to protect it, and protective herbs were often thrown in the blazing fires. In Scotland on Imbolg night, it was a tradition for each member of the family to throw protective salt in the fire and divine their immediate futures by the pops and lights it made.
Divining to determine how much longer it would be until spring was another use of the Imbolg fireplace. In Brittany, grain sheaves not used to make the Grain Dolly were thrown onto the fire. If they were quickly consumed it meant that spring was at hand; if they took a long time to burn, the winter would be a long one. If they broke in half and burned in two distinct pieces, there would be a brief respite from the cold, with more winter to come.
Sabbats
A Witch's Approach To Living The Old Ways
Edain McCoy
ISBN 1-56718-663-7
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